Double Cross
by x-psychicfire-x
Summary: When vulnerability and despair captures the attention of a soul collecting demon, Naruto and Sasuke are pulled into a dangerous fight for survival. SasuNaru. Yaoi.


**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Naruto or the Demon OC.

**A/C: **No flames please! Constructive criticism is welcomed.

**TEXT: **_Italics - demon's p.o.v/thoughts_

* * *

**DOUBLE CROSS**

_**OROCHIMARU'S LAIR **_

It was just the two of them standing there looking at each other with different expressions on their faces, but unknown to either of them - both were feeling the same thing: despair.

To them, nobody else mattered. Both had a single ambitious mission to complete - but it was unknown if either of them would succeed. At least, not without many casualties on the treacherous road ahead of them.

The first was a tall orange and black clad boy with bright blonde hair that defied the sun and its blinding rays, and cerulean blue eyes that were normally warm, friendly and forgiving but were now cold, steely and full of determination. The metal headband that he wore proudly around his forehead glittered wickedly in the afternoon sunlight and his fists were clenched in frustration, shaking almost as much as his body did; and tears threatened to leak out of his eyes and fall down his tan, whiskered cheeks.

His name is Uzumaki Naruto - fifteen, and the self-proclaimed future Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves and the jinjuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune (the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon). He was on a mission alongside his former teammate, Haruno Sakura, an emotionless painter-nin named Sai (who liked to call Naruto 'dickless' - and who moments before was on an assassination attempt before he had a change of mind) and his temporary leader, a serious, by the book ANBU captain named Yamato to find and bring back his best friend by any means necessary.

The other was another boy, equally as tall, but clad in a loose long sleeved white shirt with large sleeves that exposed an impressive amount of a muscled porcelain white chest, a pair of black kung-fu pants, a pair of special blue-purple wrap around shorts that were held together with a thick purple rope-like bow. Wedged securely within this bow was a white katana sword with his clan's crest emblazoned on the hilt of the sword. His hair was blue-black which hung long in front of his flawless, pale face in two bangs and short and spiky at the back making it look similar to a duck's butt. His eyes, a hard onyx which were hard, unforgiving and practically ruthless, were glaring down at Naruto - holding him there with an almost smouldering gaze that held a hidden message within them.

His name is Uchiha Sasuke - also fifteen, a missing-nin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and self-proclaimed avenger of his once powerful family, the Uchiha's who were ruthlessly slain by his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, as a means to gain more power. Sasuke's mission, no ambition in life, was to destroy his brother and restore his clan to what it once was. And no one, not even Naruto - his former best friend - was going to stop him from accomplishing this.

I chuckled deep into my throat as I watched these two broken boys square off with each other. Yes, I am that dark, solitary figure watching them all. I watched as the dark-haired boy known as Sasuke suddenly fade from view of his estranged teammates, as they snarl in desperation and frustration…

* * *

**_~DEMON P.O.V~_**

They thought it was over. Ha, I love it when they think it's over.

It makes my job…so very much… easier.

_I grinned in delicious delight when the blonde known as Naruto dropped to his knees and openly wept, while his pink-haired teammate rushes over to console him. I chuckled. I have my work cut out for me. I turned and took flight away from the scene - time to make my plans for the harvest._

And who am I?

You know me.

You know that dark little voice you sometimes hear at the back of your head? The one you hate?

That's me.

I don't have a name. Well, not one you can speak, anyway. But I've been around.

Wherever there is death…

Wherever there is despair…

I am there to ask the question:

"_**Do you yield?"**_

Most do. At the moment mortals see death, hope can be lost. Hope, and something else. The soul.

Men give them up, you see. And I collect them. Some are worth more than others.

The more I have, the stronger I get.

And tonight, two souls cry out to be taken. All they need from me is a little guidance.

* * *

_**~SASUKE P.O.V~**_

_Why can't they just accept that I don't wish to return to Konoha? I thought I made myself clear the last time I saw that dobe that-_

My thoughts are cut off when I hear a timid knock at the door? Hmm, somebody certainly has guts - that I will be ripping out if they don't have a good explanation for disturbing my 'sleep' again.

"What!?"

"Sasuke-sama?" a confident, sultry female's voice floats into the room. I growl in annoyance.

"State your business." I demand impatiently.

"Orochimaru-sama sent me to cheer you up." came the reply.

I rolled my eyes and pull a revolted face. What the fuck is that perverted paedophile playing at sending me a whore? And a female one at that? Didn't I make it abundantly clear that I am gay? I stand up and stride over to the door and almost rip it off its hinges in my anger.

"Come inside." I order and stride back over to my bed and lie back down on it, facing the wall. I hear the door close as the whore comes over and the mattress descends several inches.

"Touch me and you'll wish you'd never been born." I threaten without turning around.

"I won't do anything without your consent, Sasuke-sama." the girl promises with a seductive tone in her voice that made me shudder.

I turned over and glanced suspiciously at her and felt my heart skip a bit. Not because the girl happened to be beautiful, but because the girl happened to be blonde, blue-eyed and had tanned skin.

_Just like Naruto…_

I flinched and turned away just as the hidden speakers Orochimaru had placed in the walls started playing horrible music. They don't call this village the Hidden Sound Village for no reason. I groaned and lay back down on my back, pressing the pillow over my ears to muffle out the song.

"I hate country music." I muttered to myself. But was astonished when I realised that she could hear me clearly.

"Huh? That's too bad. I like country music." she disagreed.

"Like I give a rat's ass what you like." I snarled and glared angrily at her, feeling unwanted tears gathering in my eyes. The blonde-haired girl noticed this and had the audacity to smirk at me.

"What's wrong, the song's not gonna kill you." she teased me. I pulled the pillow off my head and turned towards her glaring.

"Yeah, but sometimes Orochimaru plays specific songs for torture purposes. He told me once that country music is played for people who are broken-hearted… why the hell am I telling you this?!" I snapped and lay back down again, facing away from the annoying girl.

Geez, Sakura wasn't this bad.

"Aww, what's the matter, stud? You broken-hearted?" she cooed in my ear.

I wrapped my fingers around the kunai I had hidden under my pillow, ready to make my move if she chose to touch me without my permission. But sensing that she wasn't doing any REAL harm, except annoying the hell out of me. I relaxed my grip.

"I'll live." I admitted reluctantly.

"Not necessarily."

I froze. Her voice had changed. I turned around and immediately jumped into a defensive stance when I saw the intruder.

_Shit!_

* * *

_**~NARUTO P.O.V~**_

Sitting with my knees underneath my chin, I picked up a stick and poked moodily at the camp fire in front of me, sending a wave of embers flying high into the night sky. Tears were still falling down my face as I went over what had happened several hours ago in my head. Behind me, I could still hear Sakura crying as well as she tried to get to sleep. We had almost gotten Sasuke back, which would've fulfilled the promise I had made with Sakura three years ago to bring him back.

Guess we were wrong.

_Fuck this. I'm gonna take a walk…_ I thought miserably and drew a sleeve across my eyes to dry them.

I got to my feet and headed for the large lake we saw before making camp for the night. I decided to pick up some smooth pebbles to skip across the water.

_I wonder where he is right now. Not that it matters… _

I thought angrily as I hurled the first pebble and watched it skip three times before sinking into the water. I picked up the second pebble and repeated.

_Gone. That's where he is…_

Getting bored quickly, I gave up throwing pebbles and stuffed my hands in my pockets as my despairing thoughts drifted through my head.

_I thought knowing this day was coming would make it hurt less. Ha! Guess I was wrong…_

I sat down on a log and hugged one of my legs to my chest, balancing my chin on my knee as I stared morosely at the full moon in the sky as it mirrored on the water in a rippling effect.

I sighed.

_Guess I need some time to sort it all out. I need the fresh air to clear my head and figure out a way for Sakura and I to get Sasuke back. Good to be-_

The bushes behind me rustle and I jump to my feet, mentally slapping myself for not being more alert about my surroundings.

_-alone? _

I quietly unzipped my weapon's pack and wrapped my fingers around a kunai. Suddenly, a middle-aged man immerged from the bushes doing up his fly and I looked away in embarrassment. The man looked up and smiled slightly at me.

"Evenin'" he grunted and moved over to the log to sit down.

I frowned.

"Oh hi. Sorry, I thought I was-"

"Alone?" the man supplied, smiling pleasantly. I frowned feeling uncomfortable.

"Something like that."

Part of me, the more laid-back, easy going side, figured that it was just a harmless middle-aged civilian obviously camping nearby, just as my team were and had just finished taking a leak. But another more sensible, logical part of me told me not to let go of the kunai just yet.

The man chuckled and like I had been doing before he arrived on the scene turned and gazed at the moon with that smile on his face that was starting to creep me out.

"You are. We are alone when you get down to it." The man surmised.

"Dude, that's really depressing…" I replied.

Even I wasn't that miserable, just wallowing in self-pity because I missed taking Sasuke back to Konoha by the skin of my teeth.

_**Kit. I sense something bad about this one. Be careful…**_

Okay. It's official. If even the furball is wary of this bloke, who really had appeared out of nowhere - then I must be in some serious shit…

"It's life. But if you ask me,-"

_**Kit…**_

I ignored Kyuubi, focusing on what the man was saying. I yawned and turned away for a moment to stretch out my tired limbs.

"It sure beats the alternative."

"Yeah? What's that?" I asked finally turning back to face the man.

_**MAKE YOURSELF SCARCE, KIT!**_

_What?_

Then I saw what had freaked out the Kyuubi and my jaw dropped wide open. The man had vanished only to be replaced by some gigantic blue-skinned creature with massive wings and wearing a weird necklace around its neck.

"Death." It promised.

_Oh fuck!_

* * *

_**~SASUKE P.O.V~**_

The intruder, which turned out to be some big-assed blue-skinned demon with gigantic wings and a strange necklace around its neck, grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and threw me across the room like I was nothing more than a rag doll. I hit the ground hard and grunted slightly from the pain before getting to my feet and turning to face the demon, who was watching me with an arrogant smirk.

Before I could do or say anything else, it swung a punch which I easily ducked and countered with one of my own which connected but seemed to barely faze it.

I struggled violently when it grabbed me by the lapels of my shirt.

"Woah! I don't know who you are-" I muttered and broke the hold it had on my shirt by kicking it in the head and using the floor as a momentum to flip backwards away from my attacker.

I saw red, literally, as my Sharingan replaced the black of my eyes and I glared furiously at the demon. My room was getting trashed, not that there was anything in here that valuable except for a bunch of scrolls and books Orochimaru had lent me for my studies and my katana which I had left on my desk when I came in here. I decided to take this fight outside, figuring that I couldn't sleep anyway and (I smirked a little) training was exactly what I needed right now to take my mind of that impossible dobe.

I unsheathed my sword and advanced towards the Demon, point first, intending to dismember it entirely for disturbing my sleep. The demon merely stared at the weapon and then at me, before breaking out in uncontrollable laughter.

Its laughter immediately stopped when it charged at me and I raked my sword over the demon's chest, slicing skin but not drawing blood. Which made me think, I had either not cut him deep enough or this son-of-a-bitch was extremely lucky.

"Catch me if you can." I taunted the demon then made a run for it outside - hoping that the demon was hot on my heels.

Normally, I would've killed the bastard straight away without blinking an eye. But I could sense something strange about it and I knew that if I killed it, and Orochimaru, and his creepy assistant, Kabuto, would find its dead corpse while I was training. They could experiment on it and all hell could break loose.

Once outside, I turned and smirked devilishly at the demon who seemed unfazed by my attack before.

"-But I know where you're going." I promised it and raised my sword at it again, readying myself for its attack.

It swung a taloned hand at me which I ducked and I parried with my sword which made contact with flesh, causing it to shriek in pain. I quickly ran for the nearest tree and climbed up. However, the demon was faster than I had anticipated and it reached out and grabbed a fist full of my shirt, holding it in an iron grip. I yelled out in surprise and kicked at it, causing it to fall from the tree.

Unfortunately, because it had grabbed a hold of my shirt, it fell and started taking me with it.

_Why me?_

* * *

_**~NARUTO P.O.V~**_

The creature lunged at me and sent us both sprawling onto the damp ground, the creature managing to get its clawed hands wrapped around my throat. I landed hard with a grunt and felt the bile rising in my throat when the creature's saliva dripped onto my face. I growled angrily. I was not in the mood to fight with some freaky-assed creature who apparently wanted to eat me. Especially with all that had happened hours before.

I broke the hold the creature had around my neck.

"Dude, you just picked a really bad night-"

I kicked the creature hard in the chest, sending it flying and hitting a nearby tree hard, before it sprawled onto the ground in a heap. I got to my feet and brushed the dirt off my ass.

"-to pull a Morph n' fight routine!" I growled in annoyance.

The creature got to his feet and cracked its neck making a satisfying cracking noise before it charged at me again. Thinking fast, I noticed the lake nearby and decided to drown the creature. I grabbed the creature by the throat and using the combined strength of both Kyuubi and mine, I hurled the creature into the water.

I hadn't anticipated that the creature would suddenly grab onto my jacket and yank me along for the ride as well.

"Hey?! What are you doing? Let go!" I yelled in surprise.

The creature hit the water and started sinking fast, but before I could be pulled under, I quickly sent chakra into my feet and balanced on top of the water, before having a tug-of-war with the creature.

The prize for winning? My life.

I pulled a kunai from my pack and sliced the creature's skin, deep enough for it to let go of my throat so I could get away. I collapsed onto the top of the water and struggled to breathe. Unfortunately, the creature's hand rose out of the water and seized my ankle, dragging me under the water without warning.

* * *

_**~SASUKE P.O.V~**_

I landed hard on my back with the demon crushing me with its weight. Immediately, the demon grabbed a hold of my throat and started squeezing.

"Get off me!" I snarled, trying to pry its fingers away from my throat with one hand and fending him off with the other. But the demon ignored me and squeezed harder.

I was on the verge of being throttled where I lay.

_Its grip…is too tight… losing air…_

My eyes widened with disbelief as I saw the demon suddenly smirk in triumph. I suddenly realised I was not strong enough to buck it off and I was going to die before I could avenge my family… or see Naruto again.

_Wish I could've had another chance to see…_

"Naruto…" I croaked before everything went black.

Suddenly, I heard the demon's voice ask me:

"Do you yield?"

* * *

_**~NARUTO P.O.V~**_

Water rushed into my nose, causing it to burn painfully as I felt the creature wrap its legs securely around my waist and refused to let go as it wrapped both hands around my throat again. I thrashed wildly.

_This thing… it's too strong…_

I opened my eyes and looked up at the creature throttling me as I slowly drowned.

I felt a corrosive anger bubbling inside me.

_This day just gets better and better…_

I swung a desperate punch at the creature who merely dodged and tightened its hold on my throat. The world around me started getting darker and darker…

_Sasuke…_

"Do you yield?" I heard a voice ask me…

* * *

_**~DEMON P.O.V~**_

Did I mention that I enjoy my work? This is the part that I like best, watching the life flow out of them. And yet, for all the times I've done this, still I wonder…

What are last thoughts like?

* * *

_**~SASUKE AND NARUTO'S LAST THOUGHTS~**_

Bright sunlight shone over a vast green meadow, filled to the brim with colourful sprays of wildflowers. A gentle breeze rushes through and caresses the grass, making it bend in the wind and coaxing awake a sprawled out figure lying on the grass, completely unaware of his surroundings. Naruto sits upright with a start and looks around completely confused.

"What the hell?"

He gets to his feet and cards his hand through his blonde hair, messing it up even further.

"This is weird…" He mutters and starts walking to find out where he was.

Coming up to a bunch of cherry blossom trees, in full bloom, he steps onto a root and balances a hand against the trunk as he searches for an explanation. Completely stumped he slumps down on the ground in front of the tree and sighs frustrated.

_**SNAP!**_

Naruto's head snaps up and looks around for the source of the noise. He looks up and feels his jaw drop open when he sees somebody unexpected seated casually on the tree branch above him, dangling his leg and wearing an irritated expression on his face.

"Sasuke! What's going on, what are you doing here?" Naruto asks, stepping away from the tree to get a better view of the Uchiha, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"How should I know, dobe?" he replied snippily and jumps down from the branch.

Straightening up, he approaches Naruto and stands a foot away from him, crossing his arms over his chest, and giving Naruto a level glance.

Immediately, Naruto bristles.

"Don't look at me like it's my fault, teme." He retorts and is instantly surprised when Sasuke chuckles.

"What?" Naruto asks suspiciously.

"If I was going to accuse you of doing something stupid - which is frequent-"

Naruto growled at that comment.

"-I would make sure that you actually did it before making it a fact." answers Sasuke, before turning and striding away.

"Where are you going?"

"To find out where we are, of course." stated Sasuke, like it was obvious.

Naruto rushes to keep up with him, missing Sasuke roll his eyes and smile slightly at the blonde's antics. Naruto had no idea how overjoyed Sasuke was to actually see him again, considering how things had been left off the last time they had seen each other.

Suddenly, Naruto speaks up with a valid question.

"Do you get the feeling something's off here?" He asks, frowning slightly.

"Do I have to dignify that with an answer, or should I just glare?" Sasuke retorts, but is amazed when it appears that Naruto hadn't been listening to him. Or if he had been, simply ignored the sarcastic reply.

"It's kinda like we're in some sort of dream. Like we're supposed to… I dunno find something?"

Sasuke was about to roll his eyes when he noticed something strange just beyond them.

_The dobe is right for once…_

He looked over to see Naruto walking away from where he was standing, so he reached out and gently grabbed the blonde's wrist. Stiffening slightly, Naruto looked over at Sasuke questioningly.

"What?"

"Think these qualify?" Sasuke asked Naruto, pointing towards a couple of graves - that by its appearances, looked like it had just been freshly dug but had yet to accommodate the coffins.

Naruto looked over at the two tombstones with a mystified expression on his face as he read the inscriptions chiselled on its smooth surfaces.

_**Uchiha Sasuke**_

_**Uzumaki Naruto**_

Above the names was a detailed picture of the same demon that had attacked them separately wherever they were.

"We're dead?" Naruto questioned.

Sasuke shrugged, but before he could offer another possible explanation, a voice interrupted them.

"No."

The two ninjas looked up to see a large raven with human-like black eyes glaring at them both with a hungry expression on its black feathered face, perched on a nearby tree branch.

"You're not even here." said the bird cryptically before taking flight and disappearing into the sky.

Naruto broke the hold Sasuke had on his wrist before groaning in exasperation and turning away with his hands in his hair threatening to rip it from the roots.

"I must be losing my mind." Naruto decided, with tears threatening to spill from his eyes again.

Sasuke watched the blonde with a concerned expression on his face.

"Wake up, Naruto! Wake up!" Naruto demanded himself. Sasuke approached his rival and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto…"

"Don't touch me!" said person snarled, glaring at the person he felt was responsible for his current predicament.

Sasuke sighed and tried again.

"Naruto, you're not sleeping and we're certainly not dead. I hate to say this, but I think that talking bird's got a point."

However, Naruto didn't want to believe that he wasn't really sleeping or dead.

"If I wasn't sleeping or dying, then you wouldn't be here. It's like my brain is tricking me, by giving me the thing I want the most, then taking it away again!"

Sasuke paused, feeling his heart skipping a beat.

"It's like I told you back there in that crater: _"How can I __become Hokage if I can't even save my friends?" _If I were truly dead, then your problems with me would be solved and so would mine and not to mention the Village's." He paused letting it all sink in.

"But I can't die. I need to fulfill the promise I made to Sakura to bring you back in anyway I can. So I'll be damned if I cannot save you." He vowed, before tears finally fell down his cheeks.

Naruto turned away out of embarrassment. Sasuke felt like his heart was trying to escape his chest.

"What are you trying to say, dobe?" He asked, pressing for an answer.

Naruto drew a sleeve across his eyes before turning and glaring at the Uchiha.

"I'm saying that I love you, teme. I always have. And the only reason why I've been trying to beat you in every fight we've ever had was to try and prove myself to you and the Villagers, and earn your acceptance and respect." Naruto admitted brokenly.

That was all Sasuke needed to hear as he came over to the emotionally vulnerable blonde and gently took his chin in his hand to turn it to face him. Sasuke leaned forward and kissed away the tears still leaking out of Naruto's eyes before leaning towards the surprised blonde's ear.

"I love you too, Naruto." He whispered.

The tender smile on the Uchiha's face caused Naruto to smile as well as both boys moved simultaneously and both kissed. A kiss that was loving and gentle. Sasuke traced the Naruto's bottom lip with his tongue asking for entrance, which was granted. As Sasuke deepened their kiss, Naruto folded himself into Sasuke's arms.

After a while, they broke the kiss and the blonde leaned his forehead against Sasuke's neck, while Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto and pulled him firmly against his chest, cradling him in his arms.

But there was still something very wrong about where the two lovers were currently standing.

"So, this is… what? Some kind of psychic link?" Naruto murmured to Sasuke who frowned as well, still trying to figure it out as well.

"Probably. It's obvious that we're not here."

Naruto pulled away, but didn't break contact completely as he looked around the grassy meadow.

"Then where the heck are we?" He asked.

"Does it matter? We're together." Sasuke whispered, kissing Naruto's temple.

It was then that both Naruto and Sasuke got a glimpse of their own separate fates and were horrified by what they saw. Sasuke was being throttled by the demon; and Naruto was drowning, the rest of his teammates unaware of this. Both realised what they needed to do… and neither wanted to do it. But both had yet to accomplish their tasks and until it was completed, they couldn't see each other again.

At least, until they knew they wouldn't die because of it.

"This isn't right. We're dying." Naruto muttered.

"We've gotta be…" Sasuke added.

"Apart." they said together.

* * *

_**~DEMON P.O.V~**_

_Damn. So close._

I watched before my eyes as the seemingly weakened blonde ninja in my clutches suddenly regained consciousness and glared at me with a new determination. I felt my eyes widen in fear as he reached up and grabbed my necklace and gave it a powerful yank.

The moment the necklace snapped, I was overwhelmed with pain ripping into me like I had been thrown into a vat of acid. Which caused me to release the ninja from my grasp. He quickly swam for the surface as fast as his legs could propel him.

Elsewhere, the dark-haired boy, I had been just moments before been siphoning the life from him, regained consciousness like the blonde had only moments before and watched as his eyes changed from his groggy onyx colour to a sinister, blood red with an unusual black pattern where his pupil should've been.

I growled in anger.

"Naruto!" I heard him roar.

_What the…?_

I felt my knees buckle as I felt something sharp bury itself deep into my stomach and exit out of my back. I looked behind and saw the boy's katana sticking out of my back, with my blood still slick on the blade. I gagged on the blood that suddenly flooded my mouth as I watched in both fear and horror when the sadistic boy beneath me instantly reached up and grabbed onto the necklace and yanked on it as well, breaking it.

And like before, I was overwhelmed with the same pain I was still experiencing where I was with the blonde.

* * *

_**(A/C: **_Please note: the italics for Sasuke and Naruto's point of view are the Demon's point of view during their point of view, where as the normal text is Naruto and Sasuke's point of view… if that makes any sense at all.)

* * *

**~NARUTO P.O.V~**

The moment my head broke the surface of the water, I took in a deep breath like it was a drink of water I had been desperately craving.

"NARUTO! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

I turned and saw Sakura who was standing on the bank of the lake with both Sai, who was looking as unemotional as ever, and a highly disapproving Yamato all staring at me thrashing about in the water.

"THIS IS NO TIME TO BE TAKING A MOONLIGHT SWIM. WE NEED TO GET UP EARLY TO GET BACK TO KONOHA!" she cursed at me, but I was beyond caring about what she thought as I immediately hopped out of the lake and balanced on the surface with my chakra enhanced feet.

I knew almost instantly that breaking that weird necklace around that creature's neck did not kill it. I suddenly noticed a shadow developing beneath my feet and immediately started running for the shore.

"Get back. Move it!" I ordered the highly offended Sakura who narrowed her eyes at me, obviously not realising I was yelling at her to save her life.

"What did you just say to me?" she snapped.

But before I could actually reply, the creature broke the surface and snarled at me with an animal like growl.

"What the hell is that thing?" screamed Sakura as she, Yamato and Sai all backed away bringing out weapons to defend themselves.

I reached the shore and sprinted to stand in front of the three of them as I brandished a kunai in front of me protectively.

"Fucked if I know. Now just get back." I yelled, as the creature snarled again and rushed at us, baring its freakishly long teeth.

_Not all of them yield. _

The creature made it to the shore and lunged at me once again. I ruthlessly shoved Sakura aside as I kicked out at the now much weaker demon who crumpled on the ground beneath a nearby tree.

_Some run…_

The creature raised its head and shook it to regain its bearings before getting to its feet and spreading its wings to fly at me.

But I was ready for it…

_In the end, it makes little difference…_

At the last moment, I grabbed the creature and held it in a choke hold as it fought to free itself. But I was unrelenting. Without hesitating a second, I drew the kunai across its throat slicing it and almost taking its head off.

It gurgled pathetically as blood bubbled from the cut in its throat and it fell face forward onto the ground and stopped moving.

* * *

_**~SASUKE P.O.V~**_

I pushed the slumped body of the unmoving demon still impaled on my sword off me and moved away without a second glance. Taking a rag from my pocket, which I used to wipe blood off my sword once the battle had been won, I pulled it and proceeded to do just that smiling softly to myself.

"I'll see you again soon, Naruto. I promise you that."

I frowned when I sensed movement behind me and realised that I hadn't killed the demon as I turned and saw it struggling to its feet, clutching the wound with one of its taloned hands and struggling to breathe.

I groaned in frustration and replaced my katana back into its scabbard and returned it to where I usually kept it when I wasn't using the weapon. Calmly, I made the appropriate hand signs and extended my index finger and middle finger to my lips.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" I shouted, before breathing in deeply and expelling an enormous white hot fireball which engulfed the surprised looking demon before me.

I smirked somewhat maliciously as I watched the demon succumb to the onslaught of flames with agonised screams.

_Usually._

* * *

_**~NARUTO P.O.V~**_

"Oh my God, Naruto, what's going on?" asked Sakura, breathlessly as I wiped the blood of the creature on the grass beneath our feet before replacing it back into my weapon's pack.

"Long story." I muttered back a reply, preferring to return to bed for a well-earned sleep instead of telling Sakura my unbelievable story.

"I'm pretty sure, we've got time." retorted Sakura, stubbornly.

However, Yamato came forward and placed a firm hand on my friend's shoulder.

"Actually, we really don't." He disagreed with her.

"As you just said, we need to get up early so we can deliver our report to her ladyship."

Sakura nodded reluctantly, before shooting me a look that told me that I was going to be bombarded with an onslaught of questions the moment we weren't required by Baa-chan anymore. I yawned, which ended the discussion immediately as my teammates returned to the campsite to resume sleeping.

I moved to follow them, but paused briefly to turn and smile at the beautiful full moon behind me, already starting to descend for the night.

"I'll find you." I promised.

"I'll find you and bring you back to me, Sasuke."

* * *

_**~SASUKE P.O.V~**_

The smell of burning flesh was starting to get to me. So, wrinkling my nose in distaste, I turned and started heading back to Orochimaru's lair, to resume sleeping. But not before turning to have one more glimpse at the moon overhead.

"Hn. Train hard, Naruto. The next time you see me, you'll have your work cut out for you." I promised.

* * *

_**~DEMON P.O.V~**_

I thought it was over.

I believed that the pain of separation would render these two souls ripe for the taking.

I was wrong.

Though these two lovers part, their connection remains. And that makes them strong.

But I will be back.

This is not the end… merely a new beginning for us all.

_**END**_


End file.
